


Return of a friend

by Rangerfan58



Category: Captain Scarlet - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26035090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rangerfan58/pseuds/Rangerfan58
Summary: Title basically gives it away but more details in disclaimer





	Return of a friend

**Author's Note:**

> What you recognize I don't own. It's been two years since Captain Scarlet was lost in battle against another Mysteron threat, and it's been harder for the group because of the fact that they were never able to retrieve Scarlet's body so that he could heal in Cloudbase and return to the fight. Because of Scarlet's loss the war against the Mysteron's has meant a higher casualty rate among Spectrum though all of the Captain's are alive by some miracle. What Spectrum doesn't know is that Scarlet is alive but held prisoner by a group of normal human terrorists who recognized his uniform for what it was and debated long enough about using him as a bargaining chip that they lost their opportunity at the time, so instead they simply opted to keep him prisoner for an undetermined time until they had an end goal. And while Spectrum did search for Scarlet's remains they were forced to give up the search after six months

A new recruit to Cloudbase was just finishing up his physical with Doctor Fawn when Fawn spoke up again

"Now then I am releasing you to full duty, however I must also give you warning, if any of the Captains, especially Captain Blue, or Colonel White seem despondent or angry for no reason don't make a big deal of it and don't ask any questions, at least for today, if they decide to speak to you about what's wrong then fine but _no_ probing, the last time that happened...well it wasn't a pretty sight"

"Understood, but...can I ask _you_ about what's so significant about today?"

"No I...I don't like to talk about it"

"Understood"

And as it turned out the new Lieutenant was partnered with Captain Blue that day and they all heard of the new threat

"This is the voice of the Mysterons, we will be avenged, today on a sad day we will destroy happiness"

Once the threat was heard Captain Blue spoke up

"Great, they just _had_ to remind us of what today is didn't they?, two years Paul, it's been two years since you went missing and a year and a half since we were forced to declare you dead"

The Lieutenant kept silent but was curious about what Blue had just said regarding being forced to declare someone dead after being missing for six months at the very least. Fortunately Spectrum figured out just in the nick of time that the Mysteron threat was against an amusement park that time and which park it was too and dealt with it with no casualties that time, though it was a near thing for Captain Magenta

"We got lucky this time sir"

"Indeed we did Captain Ochre, indeed we did"

And then as was usual for the group after another fight against the Mysterons everyone was given ginger ale and a salute was given and this time it was Lieutenant Green who spoke the words since they rotated the duty so that Colonel White didn't always have to say the hard words

"We won another fight Captain Scarlet, for you we won another fight"

Depending on one's abilities they either downed the ginger ale in one gulp or two gulps with a few minor exceptions. Afterwords depending on various factors officers were given twenty-four hours furlough since there had been an attack on that particular day, add in the fact that the furlough was automatic and rotated by necessity meant that furlough for people in the rotation were held back a day but it was understandable. Meanwhile somewhere in the Middle East there was a terrorist camp, and that camp had a very special prisoner, Captain Scarlet presumed dead for the last year and a half and missing for six months before that was actually alive and currently in shackles chained to a wall. He wasn't very happy and was currently actually sick which was a surprise to him considering his situation but here he was definitely with a fever and thus weaker than normal, it didn't help that the chains were unusually strong after his last escape attempt some time before that he was unsure about since he had no way of keeping time

"How long has it been now since I was captured I wonder"

Suddenly he heard footsteps and knew that his captors were coming to taunt him again, either that or finally tell him their final plans for him

"I think that this time I won't even bother with the normal routine, you're going to be killed tomorrow and your former comrades are going to be the ones to do it, not that they'll initially realize it considering that they believe you dead for a year and a half, and that was _after_ a six months long search for your body for some reason"

When Scarlet heard he'd been a captive for two years he was visibly shocked, that he was considered dead was less of a shock considering how long he'd been a prisoner. He tried to make his escape once more later that day but failed due to the chains

(Thinks) " _I've got to get out of here before tomorrow somehow, even if I can revive the others will blame themselves for being the cause of my death unintentionally_ "

Ultimately Scarlet would be unable to escape from his captors and Spectrum did indeed attack his location along with other military forces of the World Government, but that attack also loosened his shackles and he was able to escape the building. Unfortunately he was impaled with some debris before he managed to completely leave the building and thus collapsed right outside of it, but he would quickly be discovered due to the fact that a search of the area was called for as a precaution

"Hey I found someone!"

Captain Magenta was the on site Spectrum officer and came over and started speaking before he even got close enough to see who had been found

"Hold on, we have to be careful since we never know when a Mysteron...attack..."

Magenta stops cold at seeing who it was that had been discovered and while he doesn't let out a gasp he does instinctively say a phrase that while not common in normal life could be common in tv and also instinctively checked for a pulse which would surprisingly still be there, thready and slow but there for the moment

"It can't be...Captain Magenta to Cloudbase, Spectrum Is Red I need an immediate medical chopper at my location"

"SIG Captain Magenta, how badly are you hurt?"

"It...it's not me, alert doctor Fawn and security about the patient, that said patient needs to undergo strict testing first before being allowed to roam around skybase"

"This is Colonel White Captain Magenta, why is security needed?"

"Because Colonel, the patient...the patient appears to be Captain Scarlet who was declared KIA a year and a half ago"

There was silence over the radio for a moment before Colonel White spoke again

"SIG Captain Magenta, I'll make sure that the proper arrangements are made before the medivac chopper returns"

Two hours later while Captain Scarlet was currently dead his identity was proven and the security guard was relieved of Scarlet watch. An hour after that Scarlet woke up with dread, he knew he had to have died from his injuries and was afraid that he was back in enemy hands that now knew his secret because of the fact that there had always been the chance that the terrorists had stayed behind to watch him die and retrieve his body. As he opened his eyes he recognized where he was and suddenly sat up in shock

"Is it possible?"

Just then the door opened and doctor Fawn came through and was smiling as soon as he saw Scarlet awake

"Captain Scarlet, it's good to see you awake again, it has been too long"

"Yes, doctor...about the others..."

"I shall have the Colonel explain that for you once you're cleared for duty, and that might take a little bit of time I'm afraid"

"I know, I may be physically cleared but mentally..."

"Exactly, you went through an ordeal that no one could escape unscathed, especially considering how long you endured it"

"I know, doctor Fawn I...I want to talk to you now before the councilor comes in to talk to me about it because I think you might understand what I went through better than any psychiatrist"

"How so Scarlet?"

"The enemy never found out about my retrometabilisation fortunately but...what they did to me could have revealed it at any moment"

And with that Scarlet started talking about what had been done to him over the last two years including how quickly he lost his sense of time but finally he got to the end of it

"And when I heard that they were planning on you guys feeling guilty for being the cause of my 'death' I nearly killed myself to keep you from feeling said guilt"

"I will admit that everyone involved in the operation will be needing help dealing with the fact that they severely injured one of their own, only Spectrum officers know of your death since you died right after the chopper arrived and you were loaded into it. I also still very much believe you need counseling yourself before being declared fit for duty again"

"I know and agree with you on that, what I went through..."

Doctor Fawn didn't speak after that, he only let Scarlet go mentioning that Scarlet wouldn't have to try and find a psychiatrist himself, that Fawn would do the work for him. The next day started Scarlet's month and a half of initially just appointments and then light duty alongside his psychiatry appointments, sometimes alone but also occasionally with the others that were affected the day he was found and "killed" by his friends and allies

"I can't change what happened but I am sorry that you guys thought me lost for so long, if I could have found a way to signal you..."

"We know Scarlet, you would have done so immediately"

"Scarlet, you've been telling us about _your_ experiences these past two years and now it's our turn"

And so Scarlet learned of the depression and the continued fight against the Mysterons and the fact that the casualty rate went up because of him not being there. Over time Scarlet returned to full duty and continued his fight against the Mysterons which would last another six years after his return to Spectrum, by which time everyone but Scarlet had either retired or left active field duties. Spectrum would continue to operate though under their original mandate to combat terrorism with Scarlet their longest running commanding officer, being in charge of Spectrum for 165 years before retiring. He would continue to live for another 210 years before being killed ironically during a terrorist incident that Spectrum was already aware of and trying to prevent, however Scarlet had noticed one of the terrorists doing their best to destroy the nearby power plant as well as their main target and without any weapons (or actual authority to do so) he followed the terrorist there where they fought, and while Scarlet was ultimately the victor in that he prevented the bomb from being planted he was exposed to high voltage electricity. Spectrum themselves did all they could to bring Scarlet back but after two days of waiting had to ultimately give in and declare Scarlet deceased, once that was done he was given a funeral with full military honors and while Spectrum couldn't be fully stood down due to their jobs they sent as many representatives from all their bases as they could including skybase


End file.
